This technical specification provides guidelines for the full-scale structural testing of wind turbine blades and for the interpretation or evaluation of results, as a possible part of a design verification of the integrity of the blade.
The following tests are considered in this technical specification:
- static strength tests;
- fatigue tests;
- other tests determining blade properties.
It is assumed that the data required to define the parameters of the test are available. In this technical specification, the design loads and blade material data are considered starting points for establishing and evaluating the test loads. The evaluation of the design loads with respect to the actual loads is outside the scope of this technical specification.
The technical specification is not intended to:
- form a detailed specification for the procurement of the test equipment;
- be a detailed work instruction covering all aspects of conducting a strength test;
- be used for establishing basic material strength or fatigue design data for blades and/or components;
- replace a rigorous design process;
- address the testing of mechanism function.
At the time this technical specification was drawn up, full-scale tests were carried out on blades of horizontal axis wind turbines. The blades were mostly made of fibre reinforced plastics and wood/epoxy. However, most principles would be applicable to any WTGS configuration, size and material.
IEC TS 61400-23:2001 history
2001IEC TS 61400-23:2001 Wind turbine generator systems - Part 23: Full-scale structural testing of rotor blades
IEC TS 61400-23:2001 Wind turbine generator systems - Part 23: Full-scale structural testing of rotor blades was changed to IEC 61400-23:2014 Wind turbines - Part 23: Full-scale structural testing of rotor blades.